The present invention relates to harvesting machinery and, more specifically, to improved apparatus for conveying through a harvesting machine crops including both unusable vine portions and usable portions to be separated therefrom.
Prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,810,512 and 3,999,613 disclose a machine for harvesting tomatoes, or similar crops, by removing the plants and fruit from the ground, shaking the vines to remove the fruit, and transporting the crop to a final discharge conveyor. A number of conveyors, each comprising spaced, parallel rods or links joined at their ends to endless belts having spaced lugs or cleats on the inner side for engagement by cogs on drive or idler wheels, are employed for transporting the materials through the harvesting machine. An improvement comprising structure for assisting in the removal of dirt, small rocks, spoiled or damaged fruit, etc., from the harvested fruit prior to discharge from such harvesting machines is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,089,421. Mechanism for use in the same type harvesting machine for keeping the open-link conveyors essentially free of foreign materials is disclosed in copending application Ser. No. 821,790 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,465.
The present invention is concerned with harvesting machinery of the same type as that discussed in each of the aforementioned patents and pending application. In particular, the invention is directed to the portion of such machinery whereby the crop, including both usable and unusable portions, is initially picked up from ground level and directed rearwardly to the shaker or crop-vine separation section. It is this portion of the machine which is most susceptible to clogging from vines or weeds becoming entangled in various moving parts. Also, it is this section from which vines may be dropped and lost prior to removal and recovery of the crop.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide apparatus for improving the operation and efficiency of harvesting machines of the aforementioned type.
More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide improved means for picking up a crop including both unusable vine portions and produce to be recovered therefrom and effecting initial transport thereof into a harvesting machine which minimizes both lost produce and the tendency of the apparatus to become clogged with vines or weeds.
Other objects will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.